Fresno Unified is growing one of its most exciting college-access programs. The district’s HBCU Step-Up Dual Enrollment Program — which has offered students a pathway to Benedict College since 2022 — added a second Historically Black College and University partner: Fort Valley State University in Georgia.

Up to 70 students from Sunnyside and McLane High Schools will have the opportunity to enroll, earning up to 43 high school credits and 13 transferable college credits before they graduate. As HBCU Step-Up Dual Enrollment manager Gloria Ponce-Rodriguez explained to ABC30, HBCUs aren’t common on the West Coast, so the program is designed to ensure Fresno students have access to institutions where they can find their best fit and thrive.

The results speak for themselves: students entering the program with an average cohort GPA of 2.7 have exited with a 3.3, and around 100 students have already gone through Step-Up. Participants also receive a 9-day college campus tour, and the program is free, with scholarships available to students with a GPA of 3.2 or higher. Credits earned are fully transferable, meaning students can go on to Fort Valley State, transfer to Fresno State, a UC, or beyond.

This growth reflects exactly the kind of opportunity Veva has pushed to bring to McLane and the rest of Area 4 — giving students in our community direct, affordable pathways into higher education, with real support behind them every step of the way.